A pragmatic randomised trial of two counselling models at the Swedish national alcohol helpline

BMC Psychiatry. 2019 Jul 8;19(1):213. doi: 10.1186/s12888-019-2199-z.

Abstract

Background: Alcohol telephone helplines targeting alcohol consumers in the general population can extend the reach of brief interventions while preserving in-person counselling. So far, studies of client outcomes in the setting of alcohol helplines are scarce. This study aims to compare the 6-months alcohol-related outcomes of two counselling models delivered at the Swedish National Alcohol Helpline.

Methods: A pragmatic randomised trial was set up at the Swedish National Alcohol Helpline. First-time callers with current hazardous or harmful alcohol use who contacted the helpline, from May 2015 to December 2017, were invited to participate. Clients were allocated with 1:1 ratio to two groups: (1) brief, structured intervention (n = 128), including self-help material and one counsellor-initiated call, and (2) usual care (n = 133), i.e. multiple-session counselling using Motivational Interviewing (MI). The primary outcome was a downward change in AUDIT risk-zone between baseline and 6-months follow-up. The analysis followed an intention-to-treat approach.

Results: Recruitment ended in December 2017. At 6-months follow-up, 70% of the enrolled participants had data on the outcome. In the brief, structured intervention (n = 107) 68% changed to a lower risk-level, compared to 61% in the usual care group (n = 117), yielding a risk ratio (RR) of 1.12 (95% CI 0.93 to 1.37) and risk difference of 0.08 (95% CI -0.05 to 0.20). The total AUDIT score and the scores from the AUDIT consumption questions (AUDIT-C) did not reveal any between-group differences in the mean change at follow-up.

Conclusions: The counselling at the Swedish National Alcohol Helpline was followed by a significant decrease in alcohol use among clients, without clear superiority for either counselling model.

Trial registration: This trial was retrospectively registered with ISRCNT.com (ID: ISRCTN13160878 ) 18/01/2016.

Keywords: Brief intervention; Counselling; Drinking; Harmful alcohol use; Hazardous alcohol use; Randomised controlled trial; Telephone helpline.

Publication types

  • Pragmatic Clinical Trial
  • Randomized Controlled Trial
  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Adult
  • Alcohol Drinking / prevention & control
  • Alcohol Drinking / psychology
  • Alcoholism / psychology
  • Alcoholism / therapy*
  • Counseling / methods*
  • Female
  • Health Behavior
  • Hotlines*
  • Humans
  • Male
  • Middle Aged
  • Motivational Interviewing / methods*
  • Self Care / methods*
  • Sweden
  • Treatment Outcome

Associated data

  • ISRCTN/ISRCTN13160878